Vet-Friendly IME Provider: Dr. Helene Schwartz-Cohen PSY.D

In November 2011, Care for Disabled Veterans welcomed its new medical partner in the campaign to support disabled veterans. The office of Dr. Helene Schwartz-Cohen has graciously linked with Care for Disabled Veterans by offering discounted independent medical exams (IMEs) to veterans seeking to obtain disability compensation through the Department of Veterans Affairs for their service-connected injuries.

About Dr. Schwartz-Cohen’s Office

Dr. Schwartz-Cohen is a licensed psychologist with a dual major in Psychology and Philosophy for her Bachelor’s degree from State University of New York at Stony Brook, and both a Masters degree and a Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. Before establishing her own private practice she served 12 years at The Village South in Miami, Florida, the largest dual diagnosis mental health residential treatment agency in the area.

The office of Dr. Schwartz-Cohen is also home to several other highly qualified counselors with experience in providing psychotherapy treatment and administering psychological evaluations. Many of the staff members are fluent in both English and Spanish and provide services to patients of all ages.

Dr. Schwartz-Cohen’s office specializes in a variety of mental health fields. 3 of their main focus areas especially important to supporting veterans disability claims are;

anxiety;

depression; and

alcohol and substance abuse.

Their clinic is focused on providing thorough, complete evaluations of patients’ symptoms to provide accurate assessments of conditions.

How Dr. Schwartz-Cohen is Honoring Veterans through CFV

One of Care for Disabled Veterans’ goals is to help provide access to free or reduced cost IMEs to all veterans. Veteran medical exams are extremely important when a soldier suffers combat-related injuries that result in a long-term disability.

Dr. Schwartz-Cohen has graciously extended this offer to Care for Disabled Veterans as her way of honoring the veterans who have served our country. Many of these veterans are unable to afford the cost of an IME, which can be a necessary part of their disability application.

Exams by the VA hospitals can often fall short of the details necessary to prove a case of veteran disability. In many cases, these exams are not performed by a doctor, but rather a nurse practitioner. It is especially helpful when veterans can obtain a diagnosis and disability assessment from a doctor that specializes in their particular condition.

In the case of supporting veterans with mental disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression, a licensed psychologist such as Dr. Schwartz-Cohen may be better suited to provide veteran medical exams. A disability evaluation given by a generalist may not cover all of the particulars of a mental disorder, while a psychologist can assess the impact PTSD and anxiety disorders can have on a veteran’s daily life.

How You Can Follow in Dr. Schwartz-Cohen’s Footsteps

You don’t have to be a doctor to start supporting veterans in the same way Dr. Schwartz-Cohen’s office is doing for Care for Disabled Veterans. We rely heavily on word-of-mouth support to seek out other physicians who may be able to provide veteran medical exams at a free or reduced cost to our veterans.

One of the best ways anyone can begin honoring our veterans is by talking to their own doctors about the Care for Disabled Veterans organization. By raising awareness of the need for IMEs for supporting veterans through their disability claims, we can build upon our network of resources and expand our services.

You Have the Power to Help a Disabled American Veteran!

Medical evidence is a critical component in the successful fight for veterans’ disability benefits. Unfortunately, many veterans lack the financial resources to obtain an independent medical exam (IME) that can provide this crucial evidence.